MUS 344: Teaching of Instrumental Music

School Scheduling

Units of Study – Time Between ConcertsImpact on teaching

• Long term planning – daily planning• Type of performances• Comprehensive musicianship• Assessment schedule

Number of rehearsals• Standardized testing, final exams, snow days,

emergencies, holidays, illness (teacher and students)

Concerts (Plan each spring – early!!)• 9 to 12 week cycles• 2 to 4 per year

Concert Scheduling ConsiderationsSchool Calendar

• Sports, vacations, quarters vs. semesters, staff development, block vs. traditional

• What are typical events during the school year?Day of the week?

• Not Wednesdays or Sundays? (know your community)

• Not Mondays or Fridays• Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays

Before or after a contest?• Use concert as warm-up (before)• Use contest comments as learning opportunity

(after)

Content of a Unit of StudyConcert preparationComprehensive musicianship – curriculum?SightreadingAssessment

Preparing for a PerformanceSmaller Segments

• 1-week plans, 2-week plans, full cycle plansRepetition

• Within day, day-to-day, within cycleFramework

• Plans reflect each segment size (1, 2, 8-week)• Plan extra time, just in case you need it!• Plans are more specific within smaller plan

segments• What happens the week after the

concert/contest?• Goals?• Don’t be afraid to modify the plan according to

needs

Types of SchedulingTraditional4 x 4 Block Schedule: Four classes, approximately ninety minutes in length, every day for the first semester. Four completely different classes, again ninety minutes in length, every day for the second semester. Each class equals one credit. (Semester = Year)

A/B Block Schedule: (also known as the alternate plan) Four classes, approximately ninety minutes in length, meeting every other day ("A" days) for an entire school year. Four completely different classes, again ninety minutes in length, meeting on alternate days ("B" days) for an entire year. Each class equals one credit. (Semester = Semester, just longer periods at a time)

Combination Block Schedule: A combination of 4 x 4 and A/B block schedules. (Semester and year classes together; slow and fast)

Types of SchedulingFlexible Schedule: A combination of 4 x 4 and A/B block schedules, but class length varies from day to day. One example: On three out of every five days throughout the school year, each class could be 90 minutes in length. On the other two days, designated as Advisement/Resource Days, each class is 75 minutes in length. An Advisement/Resource Hour is 60 minutes in length. Common (also “Assembly”; mult. sched.)

Intensive Block: In this format, students attend two core classes at a time. These core classes can be coupled with up to three other year-long elective classes. Students complete the core classes in 60 days and then move on to another two. School years are organized into trimesters (Jones, 1995; Canady & Rettig, 1995). Read more at www.nwrel.org

Hybrid Scheduling

Types of SchedulingModified block: "build your own" block schedule (e.g., schools may have students attend school based on a 4 x 4 block on Monday through Thursday, and a regular 8 period schedule on Friday. Or, they may have two blocked classes in a day, combined with three regular periods (Rettig and Canady, 1996). Read more at www.nwrel.org)Parallel block: The parallel block is used primarily in elementary schools, whereas the modified block, alternating A/B, the 4 x 4 block, and the intensive block are used primarily in secondary schools. Parallel block takes a class of students and divides them into two groups. One group of children stays with their classroom teachers for instruction in a subject such as math or language arts, while the other group attends physical education or music, or visits the computer lab; after a prescribed length of time the two groups swap. This schedule provides all students with a more individual learning experience (Canady, 1990). Read more at www.nwrel.org

Types of SchedulingPullout: elective classes that take some students, but not all students, out of the regular classroom to participate in group practices or individual lessons. MENC's Position Statement

Trimester: The instructional year is divided into three cycles.

Year-round: Schools that follow a year-around schedule do not literally meet for the entire year. The instructional year is divided into four cycles, which generally run from late July-September, October-December, January-March, and April-early June. Each nine-week instructional cycle is followed by an approximate two-week break, and other seasonal breaks (i.e., Winter, Spring) are included.

MENC Survey Demographics (2006)1. Are you an MENC member?

92% : yes 5% : no

2. What grades do you teach? Check all that apply:

9% pre k39% kindergarten48% 1 - 360% 4 - 548% 645% 7 - 832% 9 - 121% college1% I'm a student---- I'm retired---- I'm an administrator---- I'm a booster member/organizerSurvey had 636 responses (N = 636)

MENC Survey Demographics3. What areas do you teach? Check all that apply:

41% band54% chorus10% orchestra67% general music6% early childhood18% jazz12% theory4% composition8% music history/philosophy2% methods/pedagogy11% other

MENC Survey ResponsesWhat is the predominant type of scheduling in the

school (or grade level/district) where you work?

parallel scheduling block scheduling alternate: (11 period or other; shift days) shortened week (4 day school week) traditional 8 period day 7 period day

6 period day year round school

trimester other WRITE IN

MENC Survey ResponsesWhat is the predominant type of scheduling in the

school (or grade level/district) where you work?

5% parallel scheduling21% block scheduling4% alternate: (11 period or other; shift

days)---- shortened week (4 day school week)20% traditional 8 period day18% 7 period day12% 6 period day---- year round school2% trimester11% other WRITE IN

MENC Survey ResponsesWhat is your preferred type of scheduling, what would

be your ideal schedule type/structure?

parallel schedulingblock schedulingalternate: (11 period or other;

shift days)shortened week (4 day school

week) traditional 8 period day 7 period day

6 period dayyear round school

trimesterother WRITE IN

MENC Survey ResponsesWhat is your preferred type of scheduling, what would

be your ideal schedule type/structure?

5% parallel scheduling7% block scheduling5% alternate: (11 period or other;

shift days)5% shortened week (4 day school

week)29% traditional 8 period day18% 7 period day9% 6 period day4% year round school1% trimester7% other WRITE IN

MENC Survey ResponsesThinking of your ideal schedule as a 6, please rate the

actual scheduling you presently have at your school.

1 - couldn't get any worse 2 - bad 3 - not very good, just fair 4 - good, satisfactory 5 - very good, great

6 - ideal, perfect, I'm so happy!

MENC Survey ResponsesThinking of your ideal schedule as a 6, please rate the

actual scheduling you presently have at your school.

5% 1 - couldn't get any worse14% 2 - bad29% 3 - not very good, just fair33% 4 - good, satisfactory13% 5 - very good, great2% 6 - ideal, perfect, I'm so happy!

MENC Survey ResponsesAt your school (or grade level), who makes the

decisions about the schedules?

principalschool committee

combination of principal, school committee

other, write in

Are teachers' opinions/input sought by the decision makers regarding the scheduling?

yes, always sometimes not very often

never

MENC Survey ResponsesAt your school (or grade level), who makes the

decisions about the schedules?

43% principal3% school committee35% combination of principal, school

committee14% other, write in

Are teachers' opinions/input sought by the decision makers regarding the scheduling?

yes, always sometimes not very often

never

MENC Survey ResponsesAt your school (or grade level), who makes the

decisions about the schedules?

43% principal3% school committee35% combination of principal, school

committee14% other, write in

Are teachers' opinions/input sought by the decision makers regarding the scheduling?

20% yes, always47% sometimes23% not very often7% never

MENC Survey ResponsesHave you ever been asked to provide input into the

schedule at your school, as it regards music classes?

yes no

Has your advice/input been listened to?

yes no

Has your advice been acted on?

yes no

MENC Survey ResponsesHave you ever been asked to provide input into the

schedule at your school, as it regards music classes?

69% yes29% noHas your advice/input been listened to?

yes no

Has your advice been acted on?

yesno

MENC Survey ResponsesHave you ever been asked to provide input into the

schedule at your school, as it regards music classes?

69% yes29% noHas your advice/input been listened to?

56% yes (of the 69%... which is 34.5%)39% noHas your advice been acted on?

yes no

MENC Survey ResponsesHave you ever been asked to provide input into the

schedule at your school, as it regards music classes?

69% yes29% noHas your advice/input been listened to?

56% yes (of the 69%, which is 34.5%)39% noHas your advice been acted on?

43% yes (of the 34.5%, which is 14.8%; if % of the 69%, then 29.7%)

51% no

MENC Survey Responses In a Question of the Month from October 2004,

members were asked if the music schedule had been impacted by NCLB and mandatory testing. Members responded that 55% had experienced changes in scheduling, and 38% said these changes had negatively effected the music program. 31% said there was decreased time for electives.

Has your music class schedule been impacted by the effects of NCLB and mandatory testing?

yes, negativelyyes, positivelyno

17% somewhat9% not sure

MENC Survey Responses In a Question of the Month from October 2004,

members were asked if the music schedule had been impacted by NCLB and mandatory testing. Members responded that 55% had experienced changes in scheduling, and 38% said these changes had negatively effected the music program. 31% said there was decreased time for electives.

Has your music class schedule been impacted by the effects of NCLB and mandatory testing?

45% yes, negatively2% yes, positively24% no17% somewhat9% not sure

MENC Survey ResponsesPlease indicate which applies to the music class

scheduling for your school/grade; check all that apply.

31% sections for instrumental classes (in additional to regular classes)

19% sections for vocal practice (in addition to regular classes)

27% sections/classes are pullout and meet when other classes are meeting

32% sections are not pullout, that is, they do not interfere with other classes, are usually during teacher prep time or other "non" class time in the school day

86% the majority of my music classes/sections meet during the school day

2% the majority of my music classes/sections meet after school

2% the majority of my music classes/sections meet before school

MENC Survey ResponsesPlease indicate which applies to the music class

scheduling for your school/grade; check all that apply.

31% sections for instrumental classes (in additional to regular classes)

19% sections for vocal practice (in addition to regular classes)

27% sections/classes are pullout and meet when other classes are meeting

32% sections are not pullout, that is, they do not interfere with other classes, are usually during teacher prep time or other "non" class time in the school day

86% the majority of my music classes/sections meet during the school day

2% the majority of my music classes/sections meet after school

2% the majority of my music classes/sections meet before school

MENC Survey ResponsesIn your school/grade, what is the average length of a

music class, in minutes?

2% less than 30 minutes13% 30 minutes22% between 30 - 40 minutes36% between 40 - 50 minutes11% between 50 and 60 minutes9% 90 minutes2% other

MENC Survey ResponsesIn your school/grade, what is the average length of a

music class, in minutes?

2% less than 30 minutes13% 30 minutes22% between 30 - 40 minutes36% between 40 - 50 minutes11% between 50 and 60 minutes9% 90 minutes2% other

MENC Survey ResponsesHow many class meetings/week do you have per class?

That is, how often does one particular class meet?

27% once/week26% twice/week14% three times/week1% four times/week28% five times/ week

MENC Survey ResponsesHow many class meetings/week do you have per class?

That is, how often does one particular class meet?

27% once/week26% twice/week14% three times/week1% four times/week28% five times/ week